3 Legendary recipes from Le Cirque

Crème Brûlée Le Cirque
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped
Pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
8 teaspoons sugar in the raw, for glazing
1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream with the vanilla bean, seeds, and salt over medium heat until bubbles appear around the edge.
2. In a large glass measuring cup, blend the egg yolks and granulated sugar with a wooden spoon. Slowly add the hot cream mixture, stirring gently. Remove the vanilla bean.
3. Arrange 4 shallow 4 and a half-inch-long ramekins in a roasting pan. Slowly pour the custard into the ramekins, filling them almost to the top. Set the roasting pan in the center of the oven and carefully pour in enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake until the custards are firm at the edges but still a bit wobbly in the center, about 1 hour.
4. Transfer the ramekins to a rack to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours.
5. Heat the broiler. Set the ramekins on a baking sheet and blot the surfaces of the custards to remove any condensation. Using a small sieve, sift 2 teaspoons of the sugar in the raw over each custard in a thin, even layer. Broil the custards on the top rack of the oven until the sugar is evenly caramelized, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Let cool slightly, then serve at once.

Spaghetti Primavera
Makes 8 appetizer or 6 entree servings
Ingredients:
1⁄3 cup pine nuts
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
16 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped
parsley
1/4 cup chopped basil
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups small broccoli florets
8 ounces snow peas, halved crosswise
2 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-and-a-half-inch pieces
6 asparagus spears, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 pound dried spaghetti (see Tips)
8 ounces white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup thawed frozen baby peas
1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2⁄3 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Spread the pine nuts in a pie plate and toast until golden brown, about 12 minutes.
2. In a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the tomatoes, ¼ cup of the parsley, the basil, and 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the tomatoes soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add the broccoli, snow peas, zucchini, and asparagus to the boiling water, bring back to a boil, and blanch for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to the ice water so they cool as quickly as possible, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
4. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost al dente.
5. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Add the mushrooms, the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley, and ½ teaspoon garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the blanched vegetables and the peas and toss over high heat until most of liquid has evaporated and the vegetables are just tender.
6. Reheat the tomatoes. Drain the spaghetti and return it to the pot. Add the stock, cheese, cream, and butter and cook over medium-high heat, stirring and tossing with tongs, until the cheese melts. Add the vegetables and pine nuts, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Transfer the spaghetti to shallow bowls, top with the tomatoes, and serve.

Curried Tuna Tartare
Makes 4 appetizer servings
Ingredients for curry mayonnaise:
1 large egg yolk
Salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1 and a half tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
Ingredients for tartare:
12 ounces sushi-grade tuna fillet, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 tablespoons celery brunoise
2 tablespoons shallot brunoise
2 tablespoons radish brunoise, plus finely julienned radish for garnishing
1 tablespoon snipped chives
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Fresh lemon juice
Canola oil, for brushing
Small celery leaf sprigs, for garnishing
1. Make the curry mayonnaise: In a blender, puree the egg yolk with a pinch of salt. With the machine on, slowly add the oil. Scrape the mayonnaise into a bowl and whisk in the lemon juice and curry powder; refrigerate.
2. Make the tartare: In a medium bowl, toss the tuna with the vegetable brunoise and chives. Fold in 3/4 cup of the curry mayonnaise. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
3. Brush a 4- or 6-ounce ramekin with oil. Pack one fourth of the tartare in the ramekin and turn it out in the center of a plate. Repeat with the remaining tartare. Garnish the tops with the radish julienne and celery sprigs. Decorate the plates with dots of the remaining curry mayonnaise and serve.